Do The Right Thing
Before you eat your next burger the Campaign Against McDonald's
want to feed you a few facts...
What's Wrong with McDonald's?
Glasgow's rapid increase of fast (trash) food shops have created Europe's
ill-health capital. Its rat-infested slaughterhouse provides the raw material
for Big Macs. The reward for years of intensive-farm suffering, a bloody,
violent end.
But as Deaths from Cancer, Heart Disease, Hypertension and Diabetes reach
endemic proportions - the unfortunate cows may well be having the last laugh!
McDONALD'S RUIN YOUR HEALTH
On the health Issue McDonald's defensiveness is worthy of the tobacco companies
whose products are equally lethal. In Britain alone, over 24 million people
are currently making a conscious decision to reduce red meat consumption.
Over 11 million are confirmed vegetarians with over 38,000 quitting meat
eating every week. Why?
A major factor appears to be the upsurge of viruses and diseases in livestock,
which many experts fear may be transmitted to human consumers. Despite government
predictions, the number of cattle contracting B.S.E. (or Mad Cow Disease)
have Increased relentlessly. Cattle infected with the virus enter the food
chain simply because no test exists. B.l.V. (a form of human AIDS) has emerged
this year wiping out entire herds - unbelievably the cows were deemed fit
for human consumption!
Equally damning, a 1994 report published in the British Medical Journal
revealed vegetarians are 40% less likely to die of cancer than meat eaters.
The report's findings represents the single biggest breakthrough in cancer
prevention In 40 years!
The bad news for McDonald's does not end there however. Meat eating is linked
to Britain's Biggest Killer - Coronary Heart Disease as well as Diabetes
and Hypertension. Meat is the cause of most food poisoning outbreaks. In
1991 McDonald's were responsible for an outbreak of food poisoning in the
UK in which people suffered serious kidney failure. It is worrying that
McDonald's target young children in multi-million pound advertising campaigns
to promote their toxic products!
McDONALDS DESTROY THE EARTH
Multinational companies are destroying the world's most precious forests
at an appalling rate. If present trends continue all Central and Southern
American rainforests will disappear by the year 2010. McDonald's have been
forced to admit to using beef reared on ex-rainforest land, preventing the
regeneration of forests. Also, the use of farmland by multinationals forces
local people to inhabit other areas, cutting down further trees.
McDonald's, with 24 billion pounds annual turnover is the world's largest
user of beef. Methane emitted by cattle reared for the meat industry Is
a major cause of 'global warming' crisis.
Every year McDonald's use thousands of tons of unnecessary packaging much
of which ends up littering our streets, or polluting the countryside buried
in landfill sites.
To suggest that McDonald's is concerned with the environment is comparable
with their absurd claim that their pre-digested filth is good for you!
McDONALD'S MURDER ANIIMALS
The statistics of cruelty are shocking. Last year over 750 million animals
were destroyed in Britain. Every minute of every working day 4,000 die in
slaughterhouses. Despite our space-age technology most of our fellow creatures
experience brutal, savage deaths in great pain. 'Humane slaughter' is a
myth propagated by the industry in response to concerns at this needless
massacre. Meat-eating would disappear overnight if flesh-eaters had to kill
the creatures personally. Most deal with this problem simply by ignoring
it - preferring Instead to delegate the whole fearsome business to anonymous
slaughtermen in distant slaughterhouses, as far away from our own sensibilities
as possible. And we're actually encouraged to do this by the meat industry.
They don't want our consciences troubled - it's bad for business!
McDONLD'S EXPLOIT THEIR STAFF
The scale of exploitation at McDonald's is such that the expression 'McJob'
has emerged. 'McJobs' are low status, low wage, non-union, unsatisfactory
jobs with no fringe benefits and no prospects of advancement. With over
88% of their staff working less than 35 hours per week, McDonald's have
been at the forefront of the wide scale introduction of part-time labour
in Britain's workforce.
McDonald's refuse to pay overtime rates even when employees work extremely
long hours. Pressure to keep profits high and wage costs low results In
understaffing, so employees work harder and faster. The majority of employees
have few job options and are forced to accept exploitation. Not surprisingly
staff turnover Is high, making unionisation difficult. This suits McDonald's
who vigorously oppose all unions.
McDONALD'S STARVE THE POOR
While millions of people are starving, vast areas of land in poor countries
are used for cattle ranching or to grow grain to feed animals destined for
Western tables.
McDonald's continually promote meat products, encouraging people to eat
more meat, wasting more food resources. 145 million tons of grain fed to
livestock produce less than 21 million tons of meat products. With a vegetarian
diet Britain could easily become self-sufficient in food. Equally important,
vegetarian diets cost substantially less than carnivores.
McDONALD'S: WHAT CAN YOU DO?
As the Government's cry that British Beef is safe has an increasingly hollow
ring, this leaflet illustrates reality is somewhat different. Boycott McDonald's
and other trash-food joints now. Try a vegetarian diet high in fruit and
fibre. in safeguarding your health your food budget will decrease considerably.
Join the Federation in its fight against ignorance, depravation, cruelty
and greed!
Campaign Against McDonald's
P.O.Box 1008
Glasgow
G42 8AA
Hand of death: a slaughterman about to kill a cow, with a bolt through her
head
Many animals remain conscious and experience excruciating pain'.